As Donovan McNabb’s gaze crossed over his recently unveiled jersey hanging on the Carrier Dome wall above Section 330, a smile spread across his face.

McNabb was standing near midfield when his lips perked up and widened, revealing his hearty smile. Former teammates on the field and fans throughout the Dome turned to look at the newly immortalized white jersey at halftime of the scoreless Syracuse-Wake Forest game on Saturday.

“This is a very special occasion for me because it’s a chance for me to be here with family and my former teammates,” McNabb said. “None of this would’ve been possible without all of my teammates standing behind me right now.”

After redshirting his first year at Syracuse, McNabb started every game for the next four. He led the Orange to a 35-14 record from 1995-98, breaking the school record for passing yards as a junior and leading SU to the Orange Bowl as a senior. He finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting that season, completing a career-best 62.6 percent of his passes and tallying 30 total touchdowns — 22 with his arm and eight with his legs.

In 2000, he was named Big East Player of the Decade for the 1990s.

In the Dome, before the black curtain was dropped, SU Athletics played a tribute video of McNabb’s SU career on the video boards. Then, Athletic Director Daryl Gross presented McNabb with a framed jersey of his own.

McNabb, dressed in an orange tie and handkerchief, lifted the plaque up toward the SU fans.

“Syracuse will be back,” McNabb said, “but we’ll never forget playing here on this field.”

Published on November 2, 2013 at 2:29 pm

Contact Stephen: sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1